Emerging from the Storm
by 124Frozen
Summary: This is simply the same version of events told with more detail regarding the emotions of both Anna and Elsa. It begins with the Coronation but then jumps to after the Blizzard and Thaw. I wanted to avoid most of the direct content of the movie and instead imagine what happens next. Mostly I just wanted inside Elsa and Anna's heads, so here is a beginning of their interactions.
1. Chapter 1

Introduction:

In her dream she stood at the Alter in the coronation hall. Her subjects and foreign guests filled the chamber with the sounds of shifting movement, small coughs and sighs. They had prepared for this day for months, and each person sat with their own mixture of emotions. Some waited with bated breath, excited to see the young Princess assume the role of Matriarch and Queen. Others were nervously fidgeting, their minds occupied with worries of preparedness and maturity. The younger Princess, Anna, stood beside the soon to be Queen, shifting impatiently as the Minister finished his benediction. Elsa slowed her breathing and tried to clear her mind. She struggled to cast away thoughts of anxiety, excitement, and impatience. But inside she felt a pressure rising.

Not contained within her chest it spread to her hands where ice crystals gathered at her fingertips. She held her breath and closed her eyes, willing the frost to stop its relentless trek through the thin fabric of her gloves. Chancing a glance at the Minister she saw his eyes staring back at her with cold reproach, flickering away only to glimpse a lone snowflake gently falling in what felt like a collapsing space between them. His hands shot out and grasped her throat, and wide eyed she attempted to pry away his vice like grip. Self-restraint shattered as her willpower became focused on the Minister. She meant only to burn his hands with frostbite, but her intentions were not heeded by her powers. His hands turned white, followed by his arms, face, and body. As if made of fine powder his face began to crumble, and the Queen's throat was freed as his hands fell away. She gasped and turned in horror to see what was left of her sister as Anna too dissolved before her eyes. She spun around and without warning the entire hall became a white wasteland devoid of any discernable figures. The hall, her subjects, her sister- all became one ominous storm of white snow and ice. She screamed out but her words were lost in the swirling tomb. Desperately searching for an escape from the desolate prison, Elsa awoke thrashing about within the confines of her bed.

A small ice storm of her own subconscious making was hovering overhead, threatening to move beyond the walls of her chambers. Disoriented, she attempted to empty her mind and calm her tempestuous emotions. The table. Her books. The drapings of her four poster bed. Elsa quietly named the objects in the room, their permanence acting as anchors to settle the turbulence within. With each deep breath the storm above quieted, and the storm within was tamed. Without the impending blizzard she now realized that sunlight shone through the curtains, creeping its way above the mountains surrounding the fjord, and marching toward her with unyielding determination. Today was Coronation Day.

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It had been a week since her Coronation, and the Queen was no longer plagued by apprehension. Looking back, Elsa felt a mixture of regret and relief. If she hadn't lost control the evening of her Coronation the midsummer blizzard would never have happened. Crops tended by honest and hardworking workers had been lost. A child had died when the local doctor couldn't reach their home amidst the swirling snow. But regret was always overpowered by the relief she felt at having left behind her life of entrapment and isolation. Had she not lost control then she would never have found a way to regain it, this time in a meaningful and constructive way. Her mouth tasted metallic as she remembered the oppressive presence of her gloves; for thirteen years she wore the shackles and for thirteen years she tricked herself into believing she had gained command of her powers. Meanwhile she lost a decade of practice in honing her abilities. Anna's strong will and reckless passion had been the snap that freed Elsa from her sentence of seclusion and destruction. Elsa made her own path now, determined to be the architect of her own destiny, and resolute in her resolve to remake her relationship with Anna. The list of reparations to be made was long, including an entire kingdom of subjects that feared a monarch they only knew to be distant, cold, and dangerous.

Yet one week was not enough time to undo thirteen years of damage, for Elsa and Anna both. Pain still lingered in the space between their sentences, with questions unspoken and unanswered, the adrenaline of reconnection no longer bridging the gap. Life in the Castle had undergone a similar transformation, with open gates and halls that teemed with light and sound. The Castle and Kingdom had become symbolic of their evolving relationship. Questions could remain lingering in the air when other tasks were at hand, distracting and relieving Anna and Elsa from facing difficult conversations. The Regent that sat in place of a Monarch for the years between the King's death and Elsa's coronation was relieved of duty and stationed instead as Royal Vassal.

For three years the kingdom had remained in relative isolation from most outside contacts. Such a state of affairs had nurtured a strong self-will and independence among everyone in the territory, which left the Regent with duties that extended only within the realm. Becoming Royal Vassal meant many of his duties were retained, ensuring the smooth continuance of affairs within the kingdom. Affairs outside the kingdom were another matter, which now fell under the charge of Queen Elsa.

Her responsibilities included communication with foreign allies, trade routes, and investments, as well as overseeing the Royal Vassal in matters of justice, patronage, and taxing. These were but the beginning of a long list of duties bequeathed to the Queen. She had spent much of the last thirteen years studying and learning, largely under the tutelage of her Father, how to manage such responsibilities. She knew how to address foreign countries in war and peace, how to draft tax reforms and how to act as an impartial arbiter of judicial disputes. But knowledge and action existed as two very separate and distant entities, and the act of carrying out duties she knew how to perform proved to be an unpleasant and unexpected challenge.

Exasperated, Elsa threw down her quill, splattering the parchment list of potential Castle staff candidates with black ink. She clenched her jaw in frustration and the temperature around her dropped a few degrees. The sound of creaking hinges alerted her to company.

"Elsa?" Anna entered gingerly, as if her presence in Elsa's study was not a natural state, "Can I come in?" Elsa regarded her sister with a look of sadness, intensely wishing that the circumstance of occupying the same room was not so unusual.

"Of course, Anna." Of course. As if Anna had no reason to ask the question, which was clearly untrue. Anna looked as though she were going to speak, but bit her lip instead. Elsa faltered, "I don't mean 'of course', I only meant that-"

Anna entered the room to give rest to her sisters stumbling, "I know what you meant, its fine." A pause. "How is your work going?" She tried to stay within the parameters of safe conversation, worried that even with the promise of building a closer bond the potential for further damage to their fragile relationship was too great. The stakes were too high.

Elsa let out a breath, seeming to deflate as she gestured to the mess of ink and parchment on the table. Anna continued, "So, it looks like that is going well…".

At that, Elsa chuckled softly to herself, "I guess I'll just have to hire the ones whose names are still legible." She picked up the parchment and the still wet ink trailed across the page, a black river which half obscured the last of the names on the list. "Which I guess means we're not hiring anyone today." She let go of the parchment and it glided back to the table, a soft swish as it landed atop a crowded pile of books and parchments. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temple, massaging as she imagined collapsing the swell of ice mounting in her chest. She jumped, startled, and looked down to see Anna's hand resting on her shoulder. The warmth flowed into her, stamping out the last of the storm.

"Elsa, you're so cold! Do you want a blanket? Or I could start a fire- I mean, not I, or me- I mean, I can't start one but, ya know, if you want one…"Elsa shook her head. Anna let out small sigh and began to back up when she felt her sisters cold hand grasp hers. "Well, if you don't want a blanket would you settle for some help? I happen to be very knowledgeable in matters of hiring castle staff."

"Oh really?" Elsa raised her eyebrows at her sister and released her hand.

"Well, I mean it depends on how you define knowledgeable. If you think of it as a kind of relative term…" She saw her sisters scepticism and sat down beside her, "Alright, I don't know the first thing about hiring staff but I do know a little something about the staff we have right now."

Elsa nodded her head in assent and pushed the semi-legible piece of parchment toward Anna. "Okay. It would be good to know what we have to start with before trying to add in new workers. Let's start with the stables."

The two sisters hunched over the parchment and began parsing the current staff and proposing how to best supplement them. The work gave them something to focus on while they debated back and forth. As the minutes ticked by the list of new hires grew and the ease of conversation steadily increased. Elsa began to tell Anna about the dry and tedious texts containing uninspired monotonous advice about the lineage of royal staff. Anna countered with her own stories about the current staff that she had come to know reasonably well over the years.

"…but while I was hiding inside the suit of armour I realised I forgot to replace the arm of the suit!"

"Oh no…" Elsa grinned and shook her head at Anna.

"Yes. So of course they found me as soon as they walked by the West hall. I wasn't allowed in the kitchens for a week after that." Anna took a breath in and shrugged her shoulders, eying her sister. She still felt somewhat like an intruder, as if at any moment Elsa would realise who she was talking to and she'd be locked out again. There was a brief quiet as each sister regarded the other. Elsa broke the silence.

"How is it you've had so many adventures with the staff?"

Anna fidgeted for a moment, looking down at her hands. Eventually she mumbled, "I guess it's just what happens when you don't have anyone else to be with…" She glanced up and gave a slight shake of her head, "I don't say that to hurt you, I know it wasn't your fault, it's just-"

"The way it was." Elsa finished the sentence for her. A silence settled over the two and the space between them felt thick. Elsa focused her eyes on the pile of books, Anna stared at her hands, still fidgeting in her lap.

Finally, Anna looked up, "I know it was lonely for both of us, Elsa. I just didn't understand why it had to be that way." She knew she was moving into dangerous territory, unsure of how such serious topics would be received. At last Elsa nodded.

"Of course, how could you know?" Elsa looked at Anna and shook her head, raising her shoulders with a look of helplessness, "I wanted to tell you, so many times. I wanted it to be the way it was, before my powers went beyond my control." Snow began to fall around them. Elsa continued more fervently, her eyes pleading with Anna to understand, "We were so young when- when it all went so wrong…" Her eyes fell, along with a continuous collection of snowflakes.

Anna glanced around at the snowflakes, squinting her eyes in wonder that they seemingly appeared out of nowhere. This magic. That was where all of it began; the lying, the isolation, and the rejection. Anna bit her lip again, trying to decide whether now was the time to break through the ice and finally reach Elsa. Ever since their reconnection after the great thaw they had come to know each other a great deal more, but with all the flurry of activity following the blizzard they hadn't yet had a chance to delve into the details. It was as if they wanted so badly to have a normal relationship that they chose to pretend to have had one all along. But the groundwork had never been laid. Neither had talked much about the blizzard, Elsa's powers, Prince Hans, or many of the other important topics that Anna felt deserved discussion.

Elsa was staring darkly at the wood of her desk, following the contours of the grains, but her mind was back in the Great Hall thirteen years prior. If only she could do it over…she would do so many things differently. Her heart ached every time she remembered and re-remembered, pouring over the details of that night. At times she wondered what she should have done differently, other times she merely accepted the events and instead focused on the guilt and shame at having been the cause. Before the accident her powers had been a blessing, a boon- her chest squeezed tight at the memory of such vivid emotions long since lost. Eventually she realised Anna was gently calling her name.

"Elsa? The snow…" She whispered, and placed a hand on Elsa's knee. Elsa looked up at the freely falling snow, then down at her sisters hand. The snow stopped as the temperature rose by a few degrees. "Does it always happen like that?"

"Like what?" Elsa met her sisters curious gaze.

"Your…your powers- do they always come and go like that?"

"No", Elsa shook her head and let out a dark laugh, "I used to keep it all bottled up inside, trying to keep everyone- even myself- from accessing it, and I only saw it when I lost control." There was a pause as Elsa thought back to all the wild bursts of energy that had solidified her belief that the powers were nothing but dangerous. "At first when I was- when we were first separated, the powers weren't so strong, but I wasn't good at controlling them either." She gestured toward the globe resting on its axis in the corner of the office, "I froze the globe when I stubbed my toe on the chair when I was nine."

Anna laughed, "So you froze the entire world when you were nine? That makes Arendelle seem like nothing if you think about it." She playfully nudged her sister, but Elsa only shook her head without laughing. This wasn't a time for sarcasm; her sister was trying to connect. Anna sat back and listened.

"I was quick to learn how to control the small waves, back when my powers were relatively small as well. If I didn't feel an emotion strongly then my powers didn't react either- most of the time. I once froze the entire library when Father surprised me from behind a statue. The entire library- I ruined so many books, and Father was so…disappointed."

"I'm sure that's not true, Elsa."

"That's when he bought me the gloves." She rubbed her hands together, trying to rub off the feeling of confinement. What looked like blue and white embers began to spark and swirl around her hands. She looked down and drew in a sharp breath, holding her hands in front of her and studying them as she continued her story. "When they died… my entire world froze."

"I know what you mean."

Elsa looked at Anna and saw no sarcasm in her eyes. "I guess you're right, you do. But after that- I'd seen what my powers could do, whether it was because I was angry, afraid, or grieving it didn't matter. I knew it could hurt people, and it was only getting stronger."

"So you kept it hidden. Oh Elsa I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Anna knew her own childhood had been filled with a staggering tower of rejection and isolation. She had often felt ashamed of herself even as she was unsure of what she could have done to deserve such treatment. But she was never afraid, not of hurting herself or anyone else. Speaking timidly, not wanting to sound petulant but genuinely curious, "Elsa, I can't begin to imagine what it was like going through what you went through-"

"Nor could I ever understand the hurt you must have felt-"

At that Anna felt a piercing pressure in her chest, reflecting a lifetime of painful seclusion. "But why did we have to go through it alone? Why couldn't you tell me? Why couldn't Mama or Papa tell me? I just don't understand why you had to shut me out." She quickly shut her mouth, afraid she may have gone too far. She didn't mean to accuse her sister of anything- they both had been so young when everything changed. Elsa still hadn't responded, and the room was distinctly lacking flurries so Anna continued, "I just want to understand. You're so concerned with protecting me, but I still don't understand what made you- or Papa-" She added hastily, "decide to separate us so quickly and so far apart."

Elsa could only nod her head, she felt pressure behind her eyes and squeezed them shut. Anna deserved the truth, and Elsa couldn't honestly think of a reason why Anna shouldn't be given the whole truth. Enough secrecy; enough concealment.

"It was because I hurt you- I hit you, with my powers."

"Like on the mountain?" Anna was sure she'd remember such an ordeal, even if she had been young when it happened.

"No, I hit you here." She opened her eyes and reached up to trace the white lock of hair starkly contrasting the vivid red background of Anna's hair. She pulled her hand away just before it reached the strands," It was an accident- I was trying to help- but when we went to see the trolls, they fixed it and told me that my powers were dangerous. They even told me that to hit you in the heart would have been much worse, but I was too young to understand. Father thought if I could learn to control my powers…."

"Kristoff told me the trolls had something to do with it, but he said it was up to you to tell me how," Anna said it without emotion, as she was still working out how she felt about the matter, "I didn't know that's what sparked Father to control your powers."

Elsa's eyes darkened, "But he didn't mean control, he meant conceal." Her expression then softened, "I know he only wanted what was best for us both, and so he made the decision to separate us and try to teach me to suppress my powers, which meant suppress my emotions."

Anna shook her head and stared off into space in thought, "There had to be a better way. I mean, I understand that Papa only wanted to protect us; he probably didn't know what else to do. But now we do!" She turned to fully face Elsa, "We can face this together now, you're not alone in this anymore."

The change was visible on Elsa's face, as worry lines melted away and were replaced by an expression of relief. When Anna grasped her hand she gave it a squeeze.

"Brrr, are your hands always this cold?" Anna asked.

Elsa regarded her hands and her brows came together quizzically, "I'm not sure- I don't notice it. I don't feel cold. But you do feel warm. There's so much more, to all of this."

Anna gave a small smile and the distance between them got that much shorter, "I know", she agreed, "And I don't want to keep avoiding these conversations."

"I didn't mean-" Elsa interrupted but Anna pressed on.

"I know you didn't mean anything by it, neither did I, but we're both walking on egg shells around each other." She gave Elsa's hand another squeeze, "We're sisters, we can take it. And starting now I want us to be able to ask each other questions."

"And answer questions honestly." Elsa added. "We missed out on a lot of each other's lives; I don't even know where to begin."

Anna yawned and stretched her back, hearing it crack in protest, "For now let's call this progress, and perhaps call it a night." Elsa nodded, "Will you be alright?"

Elsa nodded again. "I'll be fine, especially knowing I'm done with the staff lists for the night." She grinned and pushed the pile of parchment away from her, rising from the table. Anna followed suit and the two walked down the hall toward their bedrooms, which sat opposite each other in the same hall.

As they reached Elsa's door they turned toward one another. Elsa hesitated, not sure of what to say. That she was sorry for the past? That she was happy to be moving forward at last? Every statement felt too big for the small space of evening departures. Instead she embraced Anna then gave her a pointed look, "See you tomorrow?"

"Of course, good night Elsa" Anna released her arms and turned toward her own room.

"Good night, Anna" Elsa said, entering her own room. She left the door open.


	2. Chapter 2

In her dream Elsa was alone within her castle of ice. However, rather than sitting in seclusion on top of the North Mountain the palace sat in place of the true Arendelle castle. She had been standing in the main entrance hall and could see the fragmented outlines of figures approaching the front doors. By the number of figures it seemed like the entire town was lingering just on the other side of the towering entryway. A booming knock echoed through the vast hall. Elsa's chest tightened with fear, looking about, unsure of what lay on the other side. Her mind ordered her not to let them in, warring with her hopes of extending an olive branch to her kingdom. Were they there to attack and imprison her, or were they at last extending the hand of friendship and acceptance? The knocking resonated against the flawless walls, growing louder and louder with every strike against the only barrier left. Boom. She clutched her arms around her. Boom. Her breath quickened. Boom. The temperature began to fall. Boom! Elsa woke with a start to the sound of someone banging on her bedroom door. A cold breeze was blowing through the room, and must have blown the door closed during her dream- or was it more accurate to call it a nightmare? Elsa wasn't sure. She had felt fear, but more akin to nervousness and anxiety than true panic. Her apprehension about the subjects of the kingdom was evident either way.

"Elsa are you in there?" There was only one person that addressed her by her first name, and she recognized the familiar voice of her sister calling to her from the other side of the door. An initial pang of regret caused another gust of wind, but it soon died down as Elsa remembered that those days- of shutting out the ones she loved most- were over.

"Come in, Anna."

Anna grinned and her heart warmed at hearing those words. A promising start to the day. She placed her hand on the doorknob and the metal felt cold, like ice. Bracing herself for the chill she opened the door to the wintry room.

"Sorry to wake you up- I thought I heard a slam from across the hall." Anna saw that Elsa was still in her bedclothes- still in her bed in fact. "I can leave you alone if you want to-"

"No, it's fine, come in." Elsa said, sitting up straighter and motioning toward the bed. The room had already warmed considerably. "Maybe shut the door behind you though."

She felt alright about a closed door policy if Anna was on her side. Literally and figuratively, she thought. Somehow the idea of having Anna on her side released the last bit of tightness lingering in her chest after her dream. Anna closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed.

"How'd you sleep?" Start small, Anna thought. After the conversation the night before she had more confidence that starting small was not synonymous with avoiding larger topics. They were merely building up to them.

Elsa frowned, debating whether the dream was relevant to the conversation or not, and decided to mull it over before jumping into a combined analysis. Instead she glanced at Anna and smiled, "I slept fine, all things considered. How about you?"

"I could hardly sleep after what we talked about last night. In a good way." She added, not wanting it to sound like she was upset by their discussion. "I'm glad we got a chance to really talk."

"I agree, and I think from now on we should make it a priority to do it more often."

"Don't you have, ya know, queenly duties to attend to all day?" She didn't want to get her hopes up. Opening the door was progress, but spending actual time together seemed like a tall order.

"As the Queen I'm pretty sure I get some wiggle room when it comes to how I schedule things. The agenda doesn't get any shorter, but I know I can squeeze some time in for us." Anna's relief and excitement were visible on her face, so Elsa continued, "I have to tour the village today, perhaps you could join me? I could really use a guide."

"Oh I'd love to go into the village with you! That would be so much fun!" Anna exclaimed.

'Fun' was not the word Elsa would use to describe her feelings about the venture.

"I'm actually kind of nervous about it." She admitted, "It's been so long since I was in public, in the village proper."

"But they love you!" Anna burst, "Remember the other day in the courtyard? Everyone had a great time."

"My ice rink parlour trick-" Elsa began.

"It was not a parlour trick!" Anna cut in, "and they know that!" She could see Elsa's apprehension as she picked at a loose thread on the bedspread.

"Are you sure? Because I'm not. They have no reason to think I'll be a good Queen."

"So we'll show them. Together." Anna stilled Elsa's fretful hand with her own, "I know you're afraid, but you don't have to be, and I'll be here no matter what."

"Thank you, Anna." And she meant it. Whether it was a dream or a nightmare she'd had, the reality was that she had no choice. She had to integrate herself into the kingdom, as Queen. The only person that could come close to understanding the terror in that task was Anna.

"You're welcome," Anna said, cheerful once again, "When are we leaving?"

Not as enthusiastic as her sister, Elsa replied "Later in the afternoon. Once the rest of the world wakes up." The sky was only beginning to glow, pressing steadfast against the deep blue and black of the night. "I've got some work to do before then, but I'll send someone for you once I'm ready to leave."

"Sounds good," Anna rose. Elsa was putting back on her mask of royal demeanor, the time for quiet whispers in the hazy morning hours was over. She got up to leave, "Hila delivered the to-do list you wrote for me yesterday, so I'll get to work on those things after I see Kristoff."

"Okay, tell him I say hello."

"Will do, see you later." Anna gave a small wave and headed down the hall to her room and the day ahead.

The sun had risen over the fjord and Elsa was determined to see it as a source of strength rather than unrelenting oppression. Snow and ice were at opposite ends of the spectrum, but it was the same spectrum nonetheless, a spectrum of the most powerful forces of nature. Elsa was surprised by her thinking. At what point had she accepted ice as a part of her identity? She supposed it was a part of her, as much a part of her as her identity as Anna's sister. And more a part of her than her role as Queen. She would be connected to the ice within until the day she died. A comforting thought? She shook her head and smirked at the futility of the thought. Once dressed she headed to meet one of her Chancellors to go over her schedule and paperwork for the morning. Just a few hours until her escape from the tedium of duties within the castle, into the daunting town beyond.


	3. Chapter 3

Anna checked her image in the mirror, making sure her braids were even and her clothing in order. Her lady in waiting, Hila, straightened her sleeve shoulders.

"You're all set, Princess Anna. Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thank you Hila. Can you let Kristoff know I'll be down to visit him soon? He's probably with Sven by now."

"Of course, Highness" Hila curtsied and left the room. Anna sighed; perhaps it was time to find some friends within the kingdom. She could do without being addressed so formally. Then again, even other royalty would be dictated to address her as Princess, family excluded. And Elsa was the only family she had left. Anna turned and left the room hoping to spend some time with Kristoff before returning to attend to the duties Elsa had assigned to her. The Queen had many more and difficult obligations but the Princess was still left with responsibilities. Some of the minor disputes, those not requiring the official law to be passed down, could be handled by her.

Anna entered the stables and glanced in the first stall, hoping to find her consort and, after Elsa, closest friend. In some ways she was closer to Kristoff than Elsa, but not for lack of trying. She was stubborn and would not cease her mission to repair their relationship. In the meantime she glanced in the next few stalls. Eventually she heard sounds coming from the grain room.

"Sven you can't have every type of grain. Why? Because they literally won't fit in the bucket. No, look at this- they won't fi- now look at what you did. Move over." Anna peaked her head in. Grain covered the floor, and in the middle stood Kristoff, his hands on Sven's antlers.

"How's it going?" She asked innocently. Sven grinned, as much as a reindeer could, and Kristoff blew out a breath and motioned towards the floor.

"Oh ya know. Breakfast. At least we didn't make as much of a mess as usual." He stepped over the heap of grain and drew Anna in for a kiss. "How are you this morning?"

Anna smiled at the greeting, "I'm just fine, and how are you?"

"Well," He stepped back and gestured toward the pile of grain, which Sven was currently munching his way through, "the usual. We're apparently almost done with breakfast."

"Have you eaten yet? We could have real- human- breakfast if that grain hasn't already filled you up." She smirked.

"I get the impression you think you're pretty clever." He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

She crossed her arms and jutted out her chin defiantly. "Um, yeah, I kind of do. So, breakfast?"

"Sure, where do you want to go?"

Anna gestured toward the castle. "I know a place that's rumoured to have some pretty good food, and I think I can get us in for free." She said the last bit conspiratorially.

"Are you sure we should go to the castle? I mean, ya know, with the Queen-"

"I'm pretty sure you can call her Elsa." Anna corrected.

Kristoff responded with a wave of his hand, "Oh no, I'm not exactly comfortable with that. I don't really think that's appropriate-"

"Well I do, and I'm the princess, so…"

"And she's the Queen," Continued Kristoff, "So I think I'll just keep addressing her as such. I'm not saying her title is more important, I'm just a lot closer to you."

Anna gave a small huff then shrugged, "Alright, you do what you want, but what I want is breakfast. Are your ready to go?" She reached for his hand, to let him know she wasn't angry with him.

Kristoff took a breath in and paused, then released it as his stomach let out a rumble, "Yeah, I suppose so. Reindeer food just doesn't hit the spot. No offense Sven." But Sven was not listening, his nose still buried in grain with a contented look on his face, "Shall we?" He asked Anna.

"We shall." She turned, still holding his hand, and led him out of the stables toward the castle.

The royal dining hall was cavernous and they felt a mildly ridiculous eating in it with just the two of them. Instead they tucked themselves away in a corner just off the kitchen, perched on a window overlooking the fjord. Kristoff seemed more relaxed in the kitchens anyhow. Anna got the impression he still wasn't comfortable eating in the ornate banquet hall, which made sense for an ice man with a childhood of forests and trolls. Kristoff looked visibly relieved when she suggested they take their food to the window sill instead of the alternative.

They leaned back, facing one another and holding steaming bowls of oatmeal with sweet cinnamon and raisins, tangy apple slices, and savory walnuts.

"You didn't seem to mind that I grew up in a castle when I first told you. Where did you think I took my meals?" Anna said between bites.

"When you said you grew up in a castle I kind of assumed you meant as the staff, not as, ya know, royalty or something." Kristoff inhaled deeply, relishing the smell of the mouth-watering breakfast. He wasn't used to such luxury, but thought perhaps he could get used to it.

Just then a server approached and bowed their head toward Anna.

"Is there anything else I can get you, your highness?" He stood with a bowed head, not making eye contact with either of them.

Anna glanced at Kristoff, who gave a slight shake of his head, "No, thank you, this is perfect."

The server nodded and backed away before turning toward the kitchen and moving on to other duties. Perhaps Kristoff wasn't ready for such extravagance, as his insides squirmed at the self-effacing nature of the server.

"Do they always act like that?" He set down his bowl, suddenly full.

"Like what?"

"He was so…meek. He wouldn't even look up."

Anna glanced back toward the doorway through which the server disappeared.

"Oh, well, I think that's just the way they're trained to act. But I think they were just doing that for you."

"For me?" Kristoff furrowed his eyebrows, "I don't understand."

He assumed the staff weren't instructed to act laid back in the presence of the Princess and adopt a formal attitude around guests. Especially ice harvester guests covered in reindeer fur.

"Well I'm actually pretty close to the staff, especially the ones in the kitchen. Comes with the territory I suppose."

"How do you mean?"

"Growing up Elsa and I used to come down here to play, and after she…went away, it was just me but I kept coming back. Mama and Papa spent a lot of time attending to affairs of the state, so I had a lot of time by myself. The staff helped keep me company, even when I was more of a hindrance than help." She grinned, thinking back to the many occasions where her impulsive nature led her down troubled roads.

"Somehow I can imagine that. You seem to get away with a lot. Must be something endearing about you." He smiled at her.

"I assume you are speaking hypothetically, as I'm sure I've never caused you any inconvenience." Anna spoke with sarcastic formality.

"Oh of course not," Kristoff met her sarcasm with his own, "You were pure help on our trip up the mountain."

"That's what I thought." Anna set down her bowl as well, finished and full, "What are your plans for the day?"

"I thought I might try doing some actual honest work today. I've kind of been taking it easy since ice doesn't seem to be in huge demand at the moment. I think people are a little iced-out." He tilted his head and lifted his shoulders sympathetically, "Which is totally understandable even though I know the whole thing was an accident."

Anna sighed sadly, "I know. I get it. Even with the whole debacle over with there's still a lot of damage control to be done. I just wish they knew, that they understood what happened, what Elsa was really like."

"They'll understand, eventually." Kristoff reassured her, "They're already starting to ask for more ice than they were yesterday, or the day before that, or the day before that."

"You mean when the entire kingdom was still frozen over with ice." Anna murmured sulkily.

Kristoff sighed, "The point is, they're coming around. It's getting better, and it will continue to get better. I promise." A moment passed and Kristoff continued, "Which means I'd better get out there and start harvesting that ice. Would you like to come with?"

Anna shook her head, shaking off her cynical attitude and remembering her plans with Elsa, which cheered her up immensely, "No, but definitely another time. Today I'm going to hopefully spend some time with Elsa."

Kristoff raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Wow, I mean…that's great."

"You hesitated- why did you hesitate?" Anna asked incredulously.

"No, no, I didn't hesitate," He hesitated, "I just meant…nothing, I didn't mean anything. I think it's great that you're getting to spend some time with your sister."

Anna squinted at him, "You don't still think she's dangerous, do you?"

"No, I- of course not." He met Anna's accusing stare, "I don't. I just know that she has a lot of, like you said, damage control to do. I'm just surprised- and happy- that you get to spend time together so soon."

Anna regarded him for a moment, then spoke.

"It is good. It's going to be good. I'm going to help her, to get the mess sorted out. Things are going to change." She nodded to herself, "They're going to be better than before, no matter what anyone else says or thinks about it. We're going to be fine."

Kristoff nodded sympathetically, "You don't have to convince me. I believe you."

He leaned across the gap between them and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"What time are you two getting together?"

Anna closed her eyes and leaned into him, then sat back and said, "I don't know. Later today, after we've both gotten some work done." She flashed Kristoff a smile. "And I'll see you later, right?"

"Right. I'll head back to the cottage after I'm done, once Sven and the sled are put away."

"I'll come find you when I'm done too." She said as he rose to leave the kitchens, "Good luck today!"

He turned and gave her a smile, which she chose to interpret as reassuring rather than skeptical, "You too."

And with that he walked through the doorway the server had exited, leaving Anna at the window sill gazing across the fjord. Good luck, she thought, hopeful but unsure she wouldn't need it.


	4. Chapter 4

Monotony. Tedium. Repetition. These were the words Elsa would use to describe the current proceedings. She thought she'd be more excited about the prospect of doing something of actual meaning and usefulness since becoming Queen. Her motivation certainly hadn't waned, yet sitting here overlooking the Chancellor and other advisors she felt a distinct lack of interest. The tax on imported wood- whether it should be raised by a half a percent. Whether to rename the roads exiting Arendelle. When to order new coats for the guards in the winter. She glanced at the clock, hoping some substantial time had gone by. She'd be certain it was standing still if it wasn't for the persistent swinging of the pendulum. She was still staring at the clock when she finally heard one of the advisors attempting to get her attention.

"Your majesty? Your majesty, would you care to offer your valuable opinion on the matter?" He tread carefully, his tone innocent. The Queen wasn't paying attention, which was inconvenient and also something that could not be addressed directly.

Elsa tore her eyes away from the clock, which she was certain had stopped completely. A punishment of purgatory she was sure she deserved for any number of reasons. Her head felt numb from two hours of discussion and debate about matters she couldn't be sure were relevant or important. She supposed that's what advisors were for. She raised her eyebrows at the one before her and attempted to look thoughtful and focused.

"Yes, of course. I trust your judgement."

The advisor, Andor, sighed. It wasn't a yes or no question that he was asking, but clearly the monarch's mind was elsewhere. The two hours he'd spent with her were follow-up to three hours spent in meetings with citizens of Arendelle. Discontented citizens that felt owed compensation from a Queen that had introduced her reign with a destructive demonstration of her power. Even he was all too aware of the potential consequences of an unhappy Queen. Best to leave things be and avoid being the cause of frustration. Frustration leads to anger, which Andor knew had a unique manifestation in this context.

"Of course, your majesty." He did not point out the difficulty of choosing between two options of trade route repairs with a royal declaration of 'yes'. He pursed his lips, "Thank you for your guidance in the matter."

Elsa had a vague sense that 'yes' was not an appropriate answer, but she couldn't recall what the question was to begin with. After a morning of harsh appraisals it was all she could do to feign even some façade of attention. She had faith that the advisors she surrounded herself with had Arendelle's best intentions as the top priority. They had been hand-picked by her father, who cared more about the safety of the kingdom than anything else. A fact Elsa was all too aware of. He always put kingdom first, she reflected bitterly, for better or worse.

That cursed clock, she thought, her mind instantly drawn back to what she'd come to believe was the ultimate manifestation of evil. Before her advisors could proceed any further she drew a deep breath, straightened herself up and regarded the group before her.

"I think that is enough for the morning." She considered giving some explanation about having other vital duties to attend to but remembered it was unnecessary and probably inappropriate for a Queen to make excuses. One of the perks of being ruler.

"Leave the rest of the papers in my study, I will look them over and we will resume this discussion tomorrow. You're dismissed." She said, with a tone of finality.

"Of course your majesty." Andor sighed and rose with the rest of the advisors. They exited the room murmuring to one another.

Probably about the unproductivity of the meeting, Elsa sighed. Not the best way to end the assembly, but the only option she could tolerate at the moment. After everyone had exited she turned to one of the staff standing nearby. She tried to sound impassionate and not in any way desperate as she as she addressed the worker.

"Have someone take a look at that clock." She gestured toward the instrument of darkness, "It seems to be broken."

The servant raised her eyebrows in surprise. The clock matched every other in the castle.

"Is your majesty sure? I believe it is in sync with all the-"

"Yes, I am certain." Elsa's eyes widened in distress, but she quickly collected herself, "I am…quite positive it is malfunctioning."

"Yes your majesty, as you wish."

"And please have someone summon Princess Anna." Elsa added, "Tell her I will meet her in the library."

"Right away your majesty." The servant bowed and exited the room.

Alone at last Elsa sank back in her chair, exhausted. Her head and heart ached as the faces of angry, hurt and scared citizens flashed through her mind. The arms of her chair frosted over, a ring of ice forming beneath her. This was her world now, like it or not. She briefly thought wistfully of her frozen palace atop the North Mountain. The ring of ice expanded as her thoughts turned to the freedom she'd felt, uninhibited and able to express herself and her powers without the burden of hurting others. She was ashamed for missing any part of the ice palace, but nevertheless there it was. Perhaps she could find a reason, some excuse to visit…but no. She shook her head. I have to believe it will get better, she told herself. Make the repairs, earn their trust, their respect, their loyalty. In some ways those were the responsibilities of any ruler. I am not so terminally unique, and I am not alone, she reminded herself. She drew in a deep breath and squinted her eyes tightly shut, turning her hands so her palms faced up. The ice briefly expanded, reaching toward the walls, toward freedom, before finally reluctantly retreating. Elsa at last finished pulling the ice back to her core. Cautiously opening her eyes she glanced down and saw no trace of snow or ice.

Is this my greatest gift to offer? Elsa's shoulders slumped. She bit her lip as her eyes wandered from the carpet, dry and unremarkable, to her hands, lying quiet and motionless. What if it was? The most important step she'd made with her powers was her ability to reverse them. Love will thaw. She contemplated the meaning behind such words. Love. Love had undone the damage of her powers; what if it truly was the antithesis of her abilities? She believed her powers could be used for good or evil, but whatever their origin in Elsa they didn't come from a place of love. Love was their undoing, and grateful as she was to have gained some measure of control, Elsa was terrified of what the true source of her powers could be. There was so much to learn about herself, and such introspection had never come naturally to her. She was afraid of where it could lead, or what truths she could uncover. She rose to leave the room and paused at the door, glancing back. The room looked empty, the chairs pushed in, the carpet dry and the windows clear. Not a trace of winter to be seen.


	5. Chapter 5

"Good morning, Elsa!" Anna beamed as she skipped into the study, throwing the door open with a loud bang, "Oh- oops." She grasped the edge then turned back.

Elsa flinched at the loud sound but had to smile at her sister's enthusiasm, especially after the morning she'd had.

"Good morning, Anna." She put down the papers she had been reviewing, "How was your morning?"

"Fine. The Wysocki farmers have promised not to take any more rocks from the Worzala fields, which I know you were very concerned about." She said sarcastically.

"Yes, I was losing sleep over it." Elsa shook her head, "The sheer number of individual tasks it takes to run this kingdom is staggering." She sighed, "But thank goodness that is not why we are getting together today."

She attempted to wipe the exhaustion from her face.

Whether or not it worked, Elsa continued, "What would you like to do today?" Her comment was meant to move the conversation from previous topics of the day; the reality of facing the same harsh duties every day for the foreseeable future was overwhelming. Best to avoid talking about the morning and focus instead on enjoying the afternoon.

"I don't know, but I have a few ideas." Anna paused, "How was your morning?"

So much for avoiding the topic. Elsa looked down and sank into her chair.

"It was…difficult." An understatement to say the least.

Anna frowned.

"Why? Did something happen?" Somehow she didn't think it was as simple as boring meetings. She took a seat at the desk.

"No, I- nothing went wrong, per se." Her body felt smaller as the chair engulfed her, "I'm just dealing with a lot of unhappy citizens. The summer blizzard was obviously damaging, and even my…reformation has not been very impressive by their standards." She paused, "Rightfully so. I knew it already, but having to face them today was another matter."

Anna leaned closer and gave her knee a squeeze, a gesture meant to move Elsa's mind back to the present, and remind her that she did not face these tasks alone.

"They'll come around, I know they will."

Elsa gave her a disbelieving look but Anna met her scepticism with her own look of confidence.

"I promise they will. Kristoff just told me that they're already starting to order more ice."

"Wait, when had they stopped ordering ice?" Of course they did, she looked shamefully at the floor. She supposed she should feel lucky they were buying ice at all after what she put them through. But then again that was perhaps more a matter of necessity than desire.

Anna sighed, "No, it's not like that. After the blizzard they happened to be set for a few days, that's all." She leaned down and tried to catch Elsa's eye, "They're already getting back to normal."

Elsa continued to look at the floor, still immersed in her guilt. She rubbed her hands together, trying to keep frost from forming between them.

"Elsa?" Anna pressed, "You're going to be fine, and so will they. We're all dealing with it in our own ways, but you've got to stop beating yourself up about it. It doesn't help anyone."

She stubbornly left her hand on Elsa's knee, despite the growing cold. She felt the burn of frost but clenched her jaw and attempted to keep a face of comfort. Eventually Elsa looked up.

"How are you dealing with it?" She stopped rubbing her hands and instead clasped them tightly together, bracing herself.

Anna sat back, taking her chilly hand in the other, warmer one. She tried to choose her words carefully but didn't honestly know how to begin. How was she dealing with it?

"Well…I guess I'm starting with this. With us," She gave a tentative smile, "There are a lot of things to go over, and I think spending time together will help me understand what happened."

Elsa gave a curt nod, relieved to be spared another lecture about the hurt she had caused, and the amends she had to make. She'd had enough of that for one day.

"That makes sense," she unclasped her hands and tried to collect herself. She noticed Anna cradling her hand, "Are you alright? Did I do that?"

Anna shook her head, "I'm fine. You're just a little chilly, but I really am fine." She adopted a tone of reassurance. Now was not the time to push Elsa into feeling any more guilt than she already was.

Elsa chose not to argue but pursed her lips. Anna was not very convincing, though she knew it came from a good place. It occurred to Elsa that she was sulking again, and being especially self-centred considering the tribulations faced by Anna. Anna had stayed the course, tried to make peace and progress even as Elsa had shut her out in every possible way. She had literally left Anna and the entire kingdom behind. To pursue freedom. To pursue peace of mind. Turns out she couldn't have one without the other. Being around the anger and hurt from the morning made her thoughts burn with remorse. Every emotion competed for the spot at the forefront of her mind. She felt caged in, the freedom overshadowed by the burden of the mistakes she'd made. And the people she'd hurt, including Anna.

She looked up and Anna was waiting patiently. Elsa gave a small nod. A Queen's nod. Her cloak of royalty covered the vulnerable wounds of shame and guilt. She winced at the sharp sting of each emotion.

Anna sighed, satisfied for now. She knew Elsa struggled with the responsibilities of ruling in the face of such harsh judgement. She was disappointed at the formality that was so suddenly adopted with a mere nod, but she could see the pain hidden beneath. Perhaps now was not the opportunity for the connection she'd hoped for. She tried to mask her own frustration of being shut out and suppress the hopes she'd raised so recently about the promise of time spent together. Better to lower her expectations and be pleasantly surprised than risk being let down again.

"So what now?" Anna asked, with a hint of formality, referring to activities she assumed would now be separate.

"Now we try not to think about the morning, and spend some time together."

"Really? I mean, you still want to hang out today?" Anna allowed herself to grow excited once again.

Elsa tilted her head toward Anna, lowering some of her barriers. She needed to stop focusing on what was going on in her own head and tend to Anna now. Her expectation of disappointment needed to be remedied.

"Anna, yes of course we're still going to spend time together. I gave you my word," She stood up and held out her hand, "Are you ready?"

Half an hour later they were sitting on top of one of the turrets overlooking the waters of the fjord as it slowly joined the ocean. Sitting next to each other they leaned against the wall, nibbling some chocolate pieces.

Elsa was the first to speak, leaning her head back and letting the sun fall across her pale features.

"This feels amazing." She could feel the stress leaving as her mind finally began to quiet.

"Mmmhmm, yeah it does." Anna glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and joked, "See, summer isn't so bad." She playfully nudged Elsa's shoulder with her own.

Elsa closed her eyes and laughed. It began small but, realizing she had only Anna and the clear blue sky as witnesses, it grew into a full hearted laugh. Anna giggled along, her own laughter growing, until the two were clutching their stomachs, crying with laughter. Eventually their laughter slowed as they caught their breath. Somewhere within Elsa the laughter breathed life into a starving sense of comfort and joy she craved. Anna interrupted her thoughts.

"I wish I could hear you laugh like that more often."

"Me too." She wasn't sure if she meant it with optimistic hope or pessimistic scepticism. There was a pause as they sat and listened to the birds yelling at one another.

A cool breeze, smelling like mossy trees and steady mountains, gently carried away the silence between them.

"Elsa, I want to know-"

"Anna I've been meaning to-"

Anna let out an interrupted laugh and Elsa gave her a formal nod, indicating Anna should continue.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you." Elsa felt compelled to address and remedy an offense that hadn't actually existed. She knew that, and as Queen she had the right to speak first in those situations, but she was not the Queen with Anna.

Anna paused, momentarily forgetting what it was she meant to say. Even such a slight disruption of their newfound flow halted her. It was like the breath held as a glass is tipped- waiting and wondering if it will fall or spiral back in place. A beat went by as Elsa waited.

"That's ok, I think I was just as much of an interrupter, if that's even a word."

It wasn't, but Elsa gave a small wave of her hand, "Please continue." Her language was so permeated by formality that she found it hard to find new words to express new emotions. It was the same language she would use with any advisor or guest of the court, but the sentiment behind it couldn't be more dissimilar.

Anna thought briefly about being polite and letting Elsa speak first, but she had too many burning questions to ask. Her entire life felt like a book whose pages were stolen, but only at jagged intervals; the gaps spaced to leave the reader confused and unsatisfied without suspecting pieces had been lost. Except it wasn't a book, it was her life that felt frustrating and incomplete, and she was only now finding out that fragments of her life had been stolen away.

"Tell me what happened the night you hit me with your powers as children. What were we doing? How did it happen? Where do the trolls fit in? Why was the solution to cut me out of a family secret?" She paused her outpouring of questions, aware that too many would be overwhelming.

Elsa looked into Anna's face and saw hurt. She knew that deep down Anna was probably relieved to learn she was justified in feeling so forgotten all these years, but all of that was masked by hurt. Elsa searched her eyes and in them she saw a mirror of herself. She was not alone, and Anna deserved the truth. She steadied herself and took a deep breath, holding it close before letting it go. Where should she begin?


End file.
